Buyer Beware: Can You Trust “Gluten Free” Labels at Trader Joe’s?

Being gluten free ain’t easy, but it’s always nice to know that grocery stores, like Trader Joe’s, are working hard at making products for the gluten free community.

Upon visiting the Trader Joe’s website, you can find a list of foods at Trader Joe’s that are gluten free per FDA standards. You will find everything from gluten free tortillas, gluten free baking mixes, gluten free cookies, gluten free cereals, and gluten free breads. Trader Joe’s says on its site, “As a general rule of thumb, dairy, juice, meat, nuts and produce do not inherently contain gluten.”

I personally enjoy Trader Joe’s green juices, but of course, they are not certified gluten free. I just don’t see any gluten ingredients, so I am comfortable consuming the products. I also have personally enjoyed the gluten free pumpkin bread mix, the gluten free waffle and pancake mix, as well as dried fruits and nuts from Trader Joe’s. My family also enjoys the Artichoke Antipasto and Eggplant Garlic Spread, while not marked GF, neither has ingredients containing gluten.

One caveat – and it’s the same caveat I have for many beloved gluten free products and brands (including Bob’s Red Mill): Trader Joe’s gluten free products are not certified gluten free by any third party gluten free certification organization. You won’t see any official GF labels on Trader Joe’s products. This means that we are 100% trusting that Trader Joe’s is following the FDA labeling claims and testing every batch to ensure it contains less than 20 parts per million of gluten. Here is the GF statement Trader Joe’s makes on its website:

Along the same lines, if you enjoy shopping at Trader Joe’s for the gluten free selection, you probably love that everything at Trader Joe’s is GMO-Free too. The company says it “does not allow GMO ingredients in its private labeled products.” However, there is no third party verifying that Trader Joe’s products are certified GMO-Free – just as there is no third party certifying Trader Joe’s products as certified gluten free. The FoodBabe investigates Trader Joe’s GMO labeling in this article. It’s a great read and really makes you think twice about trusting everything we’re fed by the media, brands and marketers.

As always, be a skeptical and informed consumer.

Read labels.

Trust your gut (literally).

Advocate for change.

Ask Trader Joe’s to get a third party in to certify its products as gluten free. The more people who ask this of Trader Joe’s, the more likely the company will realize its importance in doing so.

While it can be difficult to decipher certifications, claims and marketing messages, do your best to mine this treacherous gluten minefield known as the grocery store… Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, or wherever you go. While the GF community absolutely loves that so many grocers cater to us, giving us a little more assurance and clarity about whether your products are 100% safe to enjoy by Celiacs will go a long, long way!

Are you looking to save money while following a gluten-free diet? Read my tips to staying on budget when buying gluten-free groceries. I reveal the tips to eating healthy and gluten-free without breaking the bank… plus I’ll share with you tips to finding the least expensive groceries and high value gluten-free coupons!